Home sweet home

by Scribbles4

A must read for all of you Legolas lovers out there... our favorite Elf must save the day from an ancient evil..but he finds this hard to do when everyone wants to kill him!

Prologue

Long had it been since Legolas was in the Greenwood of Thranduil his father, and it gladdened his heart to hear again the old Forest river hiss beyond the trees, and smell familiar flowers in the air. His journey across Middle Earth of course still continued, for Legolas had foolishly sworn to travel with Gimli the dwarf and explore the caves at Helms Deep. Legolas wished not to go, to wander in the dark for Valar knows how many days, but he had promised the strange dwarf and now he was bound to that promise. Although his plans were still set, Gimli allowed the Elf prince a long visit back home to Mirkwood, as Legolas missed his father and the company of familiar Elves. But while he had been away saving Middle Earth, a great shadow had fallen on his homeland..... On one crisp morning, an Elf upon a brown horse, sent by Thranduil met Legolas on a grassy hill. Their greeting should have been a happy one, as they were friends of old, but the Elf was not smiling. His young face was troubled and dark as he dismounted and ran up to the prince, who immediately noticed the shadow of trouble upon his friend.

Chapter One: The Homecoming

"Greetings Gilraen!" declared Legolas. Legolas was very glad to see the young Elf again but noticed that Gilraen was distracted with worry. Gilraen clapped him on his broad shoulder and smiled weakly. His eyes were darting around as if the woods held an unseen danger, yet Legolas could not sense it and remained light of heart and unknowing of their peril.

"You have returned to us Legolas.." he said quietly. "But I fear you would have been better far from the Greenwood. There is great danger here, the likes of which we have not seen since the Great Shadow prevailed outside our borders."

"What are you talking about?" Legolas asked warily. " Gilraen rubbed his temples. "The Orcs are trying to take over the kingdom Legolas!"he cried. "Their numbers far exceed our own and they are now carrying weapons of which we have never seen before. They are cursed with dark magic and all that are pierced by them grow sick and die. I fear it is the work of Saruman, though he was destroyed within the Shire, his minions want revenge on the Elves." Gilraen shivered and Legolas tired to comfort him, as he could not imagine the Orcs overtaking the caves of Mirkwood. They were deep and strong, with a mighty host of Elves to protect it's walls. No Orc army would dare challenge them all at once...or would they?

"Your tale is dark Gilraen, but do not lose hope!'he said encouragingly. 'I have seen much of Orcs on my travels with the fellowship, and they are all broken now. If Saruman is dead then have no fear for his army is weakened. If they want a war, the Elves of Mirkwood will crush them and be rid of Saruman's evil forever!" Legolas's eyes sparkled under the sun as he spoke and Gilraen was reminded that Legolas was indeed an Elf of royal blood and that he would never fear anything.

"I hope you are right my friend." said Gilraen sadly. "Your father thinks like you, but the Orcs press in on us from all sides these days, and our strength grows less with every battle. We are already at the highest alert and we shoot anything that displeases us. But I fear the Orcs are winning." Gilraen sighed and gazed off into space, for when elves are troubled they go into a trance sometimes. Legolas saw this and began to sense a growing dread in his heart that he was needed at home. His father was strong, but Legolas felt that perhaps Gilraen's troubling news was a warning that Thranduil needed his son home. As the Elf was speaking of the attacks, Legolas saw a dark shadow rise from the Greenwood where Mirkwood lay, as if a great veil of evil now lay covering the land. It was then that Gilraen had fallen into the trance and grew silent, he too sensed the darkness.

"Do you feel that?" asked Legolas shakily. "What is this darkness I sense?" Gilraen shook his head and gazed at the darkening sky with troubled eyes.

"There is trouble at home..they are attacking again." he said in dread. "We must ride quickly!!!"

"I have not a horse!" said Legolas angrily. But then Gilraen whistled a loud and clear note on the air. Within seconds a bright white horse with flowing mane and tail cantered from out of the shadows and stopped before Legolas, whinnying softly.

"He somehow knew you would be returning today and followed me." said Gilraen and he leapt onto his own horse. The Elf prince noticed the animal at once as his own personal steed to which he had known for many years.

"Druadan!! Of all wonders, I am glad to see you my old friend!" cried Legolas happily. He mounted the spirited horse and shot off behind Gilraen in quick pursuit. The two Elven horses, blessed with far seeing eyes and fleet hooves now galloped at break neck speed and were but a blur against the forest. "Noro lim Druadan noro lim!! Faster!!"cried Legolas in Elvish desperately. He could smell smoke on the air and it was not that of camp fires. His keen hearing ears caught Orc screeching on the winds as they blew fiercely at his face and wiped his long blond hair back in a frenzy. The panicked Elves could already tell a great battle was in progress beyond the river and felt it's repercussions like ripples dispersing the smooth surface of a pond. Legolas shut his eyes and moaned in dismay as he sensed his people falling under thousands of dark swords, their tortured screams chilled the very blood in his veins. Many faces swam before him, but it was his fathers tired face dripping black with Orc blood that quickened his heart and froze him to the core with fear that his grand kingdom might succumb to evil at last.

"What is it Legolas?" cried Gilraen as he saw the prince lower his head as if sick and they galloped closely together.

"My father.." he said weakly. "I can see him Gilraen..in my mind, the Orcs are overpowering him!!" The Elf grew pale and cried for both horses to quicken their pace. The signs of violent battle rose before them as they traveled over ground covered in black ooze. "Orc blood.." said Legolas shuttering. Quickly the sky was turning a sickly orange color, as if sunset had come early. But the Elves knew the day was young and many hours still awaited them before nightfall. The strange clouds could only be smoke from burning houses..Elf houses. "We must dismount and go in on foot."said Gilraen to Legolas. He agreed and leapt off Druadan's back, not wishing to risk sending his good horse into a bloody battle.

"Ride hard to Rivendell Druadan!"cried Legolas in elvish. "Stay there until I send word to return. Farewell my old friend.." he watched the fiery white steed rear up and then charge into the dark forest, whinnying good-by as he did. Gilraen's horse followed Druadan into the darkness, and the two Elves ran fearlessly in the direction of fighting, but saw no Orcs as they went. Their sharp ears heard strange screams and shouts from all directions, the dark cloud hovered above, shrouding all light and casting the forest deep in shadow. If Legolas and Gilraen had know that one of them would soon die, they might not have rushed in so bravely. But the hearts of Elves are quick to strike when foes threaten their home, even if death is waiting for them at the other side.

"Wait Gilraen..."whispered Legolas. The elf stopped and came to stoop beside him. They had come upon a large hill, and on the other side, one could see down into the valley of the King's fortress. From this vantage point one could observe what direction the battle was going, but the chance of being seen and shot by Orcs below was a threat. As Legolas sat thinking of what to do, Gilraen's keen eyes gazed up at the orange sky and then cried out in dismay.

"Legolas! The sky, look!" he said. With craned necks and heavy hearts, they watched as thick black columns of smoke belched upwards and cloaked the sun..

"Mirkwood..."said Legolas shakily. He stumbled wearily up the hill side and carefully peered down into the valley. Below lay a battered forest of charred wood and smoldering trees, still alight with red flames, licking at their branches. Everywhere, Orcs were running and crying with voices hideously overjoyed for the destruction they were causing. As Legolas gazed at the sight with eyes round in shock and dismay, Gilraen climbed beside him and looked down with a light of fury kindling in his fair face. His hand was reaching for the large sword at his waist, when Legolas grabbed it and forcefully pushed it down. "We do not stand a chance against so many by ourselves!"he said angrily."Put your sword away for now.."

"What do I care for odds!!"cried Gilraen. He was mad with hatred for the Orcs. "We are lost now! Can you not see it?" He wretched the sword hilt from Legolas and swung it high into the air. Legolas could not stop the tragedy that was to happen next, though he always felt guilty that he had not stopped Gilraen from making such a deadly mistake. While the Mirkwood elves fought bitterly below, three Orcs of massive size were climbing the hill where Legolas and Gilraen sat hiding. When Gilraen had raised his long silver sword, the light had caught its sharpened edges like a mirror and reflected the light. This tipped the Orcs off to their hiding spot immediately. It was only seconds before they reached the crest of the hill and tackled Legolas and Gilraen roaring viciously, swinging huge scimitars in front of them. Legolas ducked the first swing at his head and rolled to the ground, a bit disoriented of what had happened. One moment he was staring up at Gilraen, begging him to sit down and not panic, and then the next they were plowed down by a group of huge Orcs that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Legolas didn't have time to analyze the situation. Two Orcs were coming at him with swords raised for the kill. He cried out for Gilraen to run and then rolled quickly to the right, narrowly avoided being sliced in two. With lightning speed he jumped to his feet and whipped out the long white knives which were usually kept on his back. It was a bloody business that followed, as he began slashing dark, leather like skin that seemed to come at all sides of him. They screamed loudly as Legolas dealt as many death blows as he could, twisting around to thrust the sharp Elven blade deep into the enemy's back. As the creatures fell to the ground unmoving, Legolas heard a mournful cry from the edge of the hill. He had moved away from Gilraen as the Orcs came at him and was thinking that the Elf had gotten away, but Legolas had not seen the third Orc. Unfortunately for Gilraen, he had decided to fight, and the last Orc chose him as it's victim. Gilraen was a strong fighter and skilled with the sword, but this Orc was a monster even among other Orcs. Legolas watched anxiously as the two came together at the hill side, the Orc was at least 5 feet taller then Gilraen and he grinned evilly as the Elf raised his sword. They stood glaring at each other, the Orc brought his tree trunk like arm up and Gilraen gripped his sword hilt, sweat pouring off his fair face. The Orc roared and threw his arms up so that Gilraen stabbed at the brute with his blade, but the Orc was faster than he. In one swift movement, the Gilraen was tripped to the ground, his sword fell from his hand and then trapped under a heavy foot.

"Gilraen!!!!"screamed Legolas. The young elf's face was sweaty and pale as lay helplessly under the huge taloned foot, while trying to reach his sword with clawing hands. But it was too far now to reach and he screamed with terror as he watched the Orc raise his shining black scimitar, ready to plunge it deep into the elf's back.

"Legolas!! Help me!!" he cried. Legolas watched with horror as the Orc gouged his blade straight through the screaming Elf's back bone, just as Legolas was placing the arrow to the string of his bow. Gilraen's back cracked in two and he made no noise as his life suddenly ended. An unearthly quiet followed the grisly scene as Gilraen laid his head upon the ground and drew his last breath. The Orc, seeing that Gilraen was dead, yanked his sword free from the body and spat on the Elf in disgust. Just as he was contemplating to go after Legolas, an arrow thrust its self deep into his eye socket and through the other side of his huge head. The shocked Orc teetered on his feet for a moment, screaming and tearing at the shaft of wood protruding from his eye, and then toppled over the hillside until there was a loud *wack* and he screamed no more. Legolas was shaking as he lowered the white bow of Lothlorien, but the arrow had been too late. He ran to Gilraen's side and threw himself to the ground, feeling as if a boulder was growing in his throat. " I..I'm sorry Gilraen...." he managed to choke out, before grief finally overtook him and he covered his face and wept. Collapsed upon the ground, Legolas was too overcome with shock and sadness to hear the screams of pain and anger echoing around him. The war was coming to a bitter end and he had only just begun to understand how it had began. Streams of black smoke still billowed about, sending a rain of ash falling upon the ground, turning it a pale gray. Legolas let it fall upon his shoulders like a dusting of snow and remained sitting next to Gilraen for what seemed to be an eternity. Just when he thought that things could not get any worse, a sudden blast of fire exploded into the sky. He withdrew his hands from his hot face and felt the ground shake below him as if many armored feet were marching across the valley. Alarmed that more danger was coming, he shook the veil of sadness off his heart and forced himself to stand up. Walking carefully around Gilraen's body, he sneaked a peek over the hill and gasped in alarm. Just beyond the hill's base he saw a large line of elves chained together at the ankles and wrists, being driven by Orcs with whips. Legolas realized what had happened to them and his blood started to boil with rage; they were prisoners now. Their faces were grim yet resolute and ever proud as the Orcs lashed at their heels with the metal tonged whips. Orcs shouted in black speech the most awful curses imaginable, to obey them or die. Legolas pulled his gazed away from the sickening sight for a moment to watch what had happened to caused the explosion. The large caves from which his father ruled from, were now smoking worse than ever and a strange sharp smell wafted on the air, so strong that Legolas's eyes began to water and his nose start to sting. He knew that the door from which you could enter the caves were sealed magically by spells, and only the king could open and close them if he so chose . Legolas felt his heart skip a beat as a familiar figure suddenly appeared before the doors, clad in bright elvish armor stained with dark black blood and a crown of golden leaves upon his long silver hair. "Father.."whispered Legolas fearfully. The king was being forced to open the doors to his kingdom. The battle was over and the Orcs were victorious at last. Behind the King, an Orc captain was grinning wickedly as he prodded a sharp spear at the King's back and forced him forward. The King grimaced and spoke a few Elvish words of command, his voice trying to conceal the fear in his heart. After the doors had swung wide enough to allow the army forward into the halls, the company of chained elves along with their Orc guards entered the caves. Thranduil was dragged into the darkness and the door slammed shut with a thunderous *BOOM*.

Legolas grasped his bow tightly and fought to keep from crying out loud the scream that was threatening to escape his throat. What was he to do now? The Orcs had forgotten one Elf but it didn't seem to matter at all. What could he do? Yes he hadn't been captured, or worse killed, but one Elf cannot take on an entire Orc army! He mind raced quickly to formulate a plan. There was only one hope for the Wood Elf kingdom thought Legolas desperately...and that was Lord Elrond. Elrond was famed for having a strong host of elves under his rule. They could rescue Mirkwood from the Orcs, if he could escape capture and find Elrond in time, then his people might still have a fighting chance. But would Lord Elrond help? Legolas knew it would take a lot of convincing on his part to persuade the Elf Lord. But it had to work..it had to! Legolas considered the time of day and position of sun. He would have at least six more hours of daylight and then he could run all night long. But even then he would have at least fifty more leagues to go before arriving in Rivendell. "I wish you were here Druadan.." he thought regretfully. Without a horse and yet possessing a very small shred of hope, Legolas turned to run for the forest, but his legs would not obey him. They were wobbly and asked him in a silent pleading voice not to leave his father alone. Legolas shook his head and wondered if he should stay. But that would be suicide no matter how you looked at it. The answer to his problem was obvious; he was scared. "I will return..and I'll bring back Elrond!.."he said loudly in his most convincing voice, and this helped unfreeze his legs. With a heavy heart, Legolas turned for the forest and tormented himself to not look back, but to run as fast and swift as he could.

Chapter Two: Unfortunate Happenings

Day progressed into night as Legolas emerged huffing and puffing on the edge of a wide field of grassland. He was sweating and shaking with exhaustion from having run non stop through the forest all day long, and he still had many miles to go before reaching Rivendell. Legolas leaned against a tree branch and tried to bring his speeding heart beat back down to normal before setting out again. Overhead the stars sparkled cheerily in a black sky, and further on the horizon the large harvest moon was just staring it's ascent into the heavens, causing the vacant fields below to glow a sickening yellow. Legolas could hardly let the tree branch go as he stepped out of the forest and onto the large expanse of level grassland before him. The vison of his father being tortured by the Orcs quickly pushed all thought of a longer rest out of his mind and he stepped forward wearily, trying to forget his aching muscles and tired feet. Orcs will be about now... Legolas brooded fearfully. Now that the sun was set, the Orcs were able to move about with stealth behind the night time shadows, and strike their pray without them even knowing they were there. Legolas shivered and decided to concentrate on something else, as he quickly found that the thought of it only distressed him more.. Fortunately for him and unknown to Legolas, no Orc had followed him or were within a mile of where he was. They were all getting drunk on the King's wine and celebrating their victory. But Orcs were not the only creatures that hated Elves, or prowled the grasslands looking to kill. Legolas was slowly slipping into one of his walking dreams as he walked groggily across the field when the high pitched blast of a horn tore him from sleep. Legolas froze where he stood, every muscle taught in his body, his eyes wide and alert. The horn blast blared again, and it sounded much closer this time. With his heart in his throat, Legolas dropped to the ground and hid in the tall grass as best he could. Following the horn call, he noticed many dark bodies enter the field carrying torches, their faces were illuminated under the flickering flames, and immediately saw that they were Men, but from where they hailed from he could not tell. Legolas hoped they were not ruffians out looking for trouble. He needed to get to Rivendell soon or Mirkwood would be doomed. The Men marched towards Legolas slowly and quietly. Each wore a long sword, which sparkled orange and yellow under the flickering torch light. Soon he could hear snatches of conversation between two large men who were leading the group of about 30 individuals. Their voices were harsh and angry. Legolas crawled a few feet through the long grass very quietly, and since he was an elf, he was able to sneak right up beside them without them knowing he was there. The two Men stopped for a moment and so did Legolas. He sat crouched within the grass, waiting to hear what they had to say.

"The smoke rose all afternoon sir," said one of the Men. "I'll wager those Elves are done for." Legolas frowned and wondered if these Men were wandering the fields because of the Orc battles. If so, Legolas understood they might have some worries that the Orcs could pass into their lands as well. But this was not why they were searching the edge of Mirkwood forest, as Legolas would soon find out for himself their unkind intentions.

"Keep your eyes open anyway." snapped the other. "I don't want any Elf thinking they can use our lands as sanctuary when they very well brought such trouble upon themselves."

"I don't like this..." said the other man nervously. "What if we run into Orcs out here?" The man he was talking to laughed curtly.

" Hey..we're doing them a favor! If we do find any Elves, they're no better off than if Orcs had got to 'em first! I bet they'll thank us..maybe even give us a reward. Too bad the Lady don't like Orcs..they could be useful when she takes over." Legolas's heart pounded furiously in his ears as he heard the Men speak. What takeover? Who was this "Lady" they were speaking about. By what he was hearing, Legolas desperately wanted to get away from the Men and put as much distance between them and him as possible. Just as he was considering how to travel around the group without being seen, a sudden and most unfortunately thing happened. From under a leaf a large black spider scuttled out and crawled up Legolas's finger. It's many little black eyes focused on the warm skin underneath it and bit the Elf painfully on the hand. Legolas felt the needle sharp pincers tear at his soft flesh, and it's weak poison stinging his nerves like fire. His arm trembled for a moment and Legolas let out a muffled cry of alarm as he brushed the spider away angrily. But his anger was short lived and it soon turned to cold fear. His breath caught in his chest as he realized the Men had stopped talking. Their ears had pricked to sound of his outcry, finally noticing they were not alone. One of them held a finger up to their lips to silence his partner and then tip toed to Legolas's hiding place. He slowly parted the grass with the tip of his sword and gazed downward at a blond haired Elf bent over a slightly bleeding hand. Legolas stared up at him with eyes wide with fear, while all color left his face. The man grinned, revealing yellow teeth.

"Well, well, well."he declared greasily. "Look at what I've found..." Legolas did not wait for the Man to finish. With a burst of speed he leapt from the grass and bolted away from them as fast as he could. Angry cries erupted behind him and the Men turned to follow, brandishing their swords and crying out for him to halt or die. Legolas clenched his teeth as stabbing pain shot through his legs and back. They were slow to cooperate as he ordered them to break into a run. Sitting on the ground had made his muscles stiffen up and it was very painful to feel them move once more. He stumbled repeatedly across the grass and looked over his shoulder to find all 30 armed men running after him with their swords swinging wildly before them. "Stop Elf!!! We have you surrounded!! Give yourself up!!"they cried viciously. Legolas could feel his pace slow down as the pain increased in his muscles, and his legs began to cramp up. If he was caught then all of Mirkwood was doomed, his father a prisoner of Orcs and his people left to a horrible existence as slaves. With this nightmarish thought, he drove himself to go forward, although his retreat was slowing every second and the Men were baring down on him like blood hounds. Unknown to Legolas, they had cunningly set a trap deep in the glade across the field. It was meant for any Elves that somehow avoided capture in the fields, and it was a dreadful trap. He was now entering into a glade of willows, just after the field ended and another forest began, but this forest was no where near as old and dark as Mirkwood. Legolas leaned up against a fallen tree, his face shiny with sweat, and tired to ease the stitch in his side. The Men were still behind him but he had to rest now or faint from exhaustion. After a few seconds of hard breathing, he wiped his sweaty forehead with his hand and pushed onward into the willow glade. Legolas had only gone a few paces when the ground beneath his feet rustled as if caught in a wind and the grass bent back to reveal large ropes lining the ground. He cried out many elvish curses as he feet were whipped out from beneath him and a large net lifted him high above the ground, his tangled legs and arms now crushing painfully against his chest. He swung helplessly within the net for a moment and let the whole ordeal set in, like some living nightmare which seemed to have no ending. Legolas heard the Men gather below him and start to roar with laughter. He was lying on his back so he craned his neck to peer at the men, his keen eyes livid with anger.

"Thought you could get away did you?" taunted the man who had found Legolas first. "I though you Elves were fast? Guess not!!" Lots of laughter.

"What is this? Let me down!! I have done nothing to you!!!" cried Legolas furiously, but this only made the Men laugh harder.

"Oh we'll let you down.." said one slyly. "When we feel like it of course.." More laughter. Legolas tired to reach the knives on his back but the net hindered him. Of course he shouldn't have done this, as it alerted the men to his weapons. "We can't have you wearing those now, can we?" said the Man. He snapped his fingers and the net was dropped to the ground, sending Legolas crashing to the floor. He yelped out in pain as his legs were crushed under his body. He wished he could simply run away but he had barely enough strength to stand. Legolas watched helplessly as the Men took his bow, quiver and knives. They then pushed him roughly back into the net, and hoisted him into the tree. Legolas was able to position himself a bit more comfortably this time, but his elbow still jammed painfully into his side.

"You do not know what you are doing!!" cried Legolas as the Men left and abandoned him to the darkness and loneliness of the glade. "I need to get to Rivendell!!..Please! Many lives are depending on me!!! Get me down!!" They of course ignored him completely and gave little but a backward glance as they retreated to the fields. Legolas slumped dejectedly in the net, his throat sore from screaming and watched the ground sway below him. His plan to get to Rivendell in time seemed lost, and to add insult to injury, he saw by a tree stump his bow, quiver and knives, reminders of the Men that he was now absolutely helpless and at their mercy.

Chapter Three: The Old Woman

Long, long hours went by and the moon set in the western sky, giving the night up at last and revealing another blood red dawn just as it was the day before. As the newly risen sun bathed the glade in golden rays of light, Legolas lay just as he was the night before but now covered in a thin drenching of dew. He was twitching and calling out in his sleep. It was a deep and unsettling dream. He was running from the Orcs, but there were thousands of them and all had bright swords of flame which stung his eyes and scorched his skin. They were calling out for his head and gaining on him as if he were not moving at all but running in place, held down by an unseen force. Legolas screamed for his father, but he did not answer his anguished cries for help. "Father!! Father where are you!!"he cried and suddenly a jolt from somewhere inside his heart brought him back to reality. He blinked a few times as the sun shone into his tired eyes and then they focused on a person below him. It was an old woman! Legolas rubbed them, thinking he was hallucinating, but she was still there when he opened his eyes again. She was a fairly old and bent with a shawl wrapped around her head so that he could not see her face as she was staring up at him. "Hel..hello? Who are you?.."Legolas's voice crack slightly. He could not see her eyes and this sent shivers up his spine. Something about her wanting to hide her face troubled him.

"You'll keep quiet and do as you're told...."snapped the old woman harshly. "Or I might just suffer to let you hang around for another night."

"I did nothing to deserve this.."Legolas said quickly. "If you are the one responsible for last night, know that many more will suffer a much worse fate if I am not freed soon." She ignored him and then looked down at his bow and gasped in surprise.

"You bare a bow from the Golden Wood?" she exclaimed in alarm. "Are you of the Galadrihim filth?" Legolas felt blood pounding in his ears again, he did not like the old woman one bit.

"I am a Wood-Elf madam. Son of King Thranduil in Mirkwood." After a few moments of silence he seized the ropes in front of him, feeling a rage boiling up inside him. He was hurt and tired and down to his last wits with what was happening to him. "Get me down from here old woman!! You can't possibly keep me in this net?! Tell me what I have done to deserve this?!"

"I know not what you speak of elf?" the old woman cooed innocently. "If you must know, I personally think you have done nothing wrong.." her back straighten so that she did not look weak and old but secretly strong and powerful under the robe of black fabric. "but you are an Elf," she continued in a rasping voice, " and all Elves shall suffer so long as I live....You say you are a prince from Mirkwood? That was something you should not have told me. Now your going to hang there for as long as it takes to break your spirit and leave you empty..begging for mercy." Legolas sat up as straight as he could in the net, afraid that she meant what she said.

"Look here! What do you gain by killing me?!," he cried grabbing at the net meshing with his fists. "I am not your enemy!!"

"So what?...now I'm your enemy. And you shall come to fear me..."She turned to leave him and Legolas cried out, though he knew he was wasting his time.

"How can you turn your back to me?! What have I done? Tell me this before you leave me here to rot!" She laughed and continued to walk away. A low growl escaped her wrinkled lips in the form of words and they sent shivers up the Elf's spine. Her words were full of hatred for Elves Legolas had never heard in another being.

"Your people will die Elf......die. And you are but one of thousands that will come to their doom by my hand."she hissed through her crooked teeth. A boiling hatred for the strange old woman raged throughout Legolas's heart. He suddenly remembered that the men from the following night had talked about a Lady who wanted to overtake Mirkwood. So this must be the Lady he thought. His hand wished for the white knives so that he could strike down the woman. End whatever evil she threatened to his people and somehow continue his journey to Rivendell, which seemed hopeless now.

"Why?!" he cried angrily. "Why do you hate me?! Why do you hate Elves?"

"You will know in time..."croaked the woman mysteriously. She had stopped suddenly just short of his line of sight, but by his other senses he knew she still stood close by. Legolas sighed wearily and slumped back into the coils of the net, running his fingers through his long hair. The situation frustrated him to the point of madness. If only he could get at his knives, he could cut the rope and then be free of the horrid woman, her hate and those she seem to be associated with. But his arms would have to grow at least 12 more feet before he was able to reach them. They both remained silent for a long while before Legolas could stand her silence no longer.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked coldly, following that stretch of strange quiet between them. The old woman gazed up at him unmoving, yet her face remained hidden behind the shawl.

"I'm waiting.."she said quietly in her death like voice. Legolas gritted his teeth and fought the urge to scream with aggravation.

"Waiting for what?" he snapped, trying in no way to be polite. "If your waiting for me to get loose from your net and warn my kindred of your evil..do not fear, I will go nowhere now. But my people as you know..are probably already destroyed thanks to you. What importance do I hold now that my father is..is dead." his voice shook as he said this but remained stone faced and serious. He was hoping still that his words were still words and nothing more.

"Well I'm very surprised..you figured out part of my little plan for you." she said. " Of course I couldn't have you sending Elrond's Elven army here to Mirkwood. Not when I have plans of my own for its rich lands. You think a net is bad do you? You'll soon wish the Orcs had killed you." Legolas didn't like the way she said that, as if she was warning him of something that was going to happen to him, something he wasn't going to like. He turned and gazed at her, his fair face drawn and troubled.

"Why do you say that?" he asked warily. The old woman simply laughed a short cruel snigger and walked away, leaving Legolas waiting for a reply.

"Wait!!"he cried desperately. But she had gone into the glade and disappeared under heavy bows of leaves and bushes. He punched at the side of the net furiously with his fist and it swayed back and forth. A hundred questions burned within him and he grasped for answers that were not there. How did this happened to him? What would happen now? Was he was to never set foot on solid ground again? Could it be possible that the evil woman had meant to leave him hanging up in the tree forever? Legolas would rather face a thousand Orcs than die of starvation or madness, cramped in little net with no water or room to move. It was an awful feeling to know he would spend another long dark night alone, with the fearful knowledge that his home land was at that moment being torn to shreds by the Orcs. "Can anyone hear me??!!!!"he cried at the top of his lungs, hoping someone other than the Men who had caught him would hear his cry for help. "Is anyone there?!!" Silence followed and all that he heard were the cheerful chirping of birds in the branches around him. He envied there freedom as they dove and flew around the trees, singing happily without a care in the world. One bird came up to the net and landed on the mesh opposite Legolas. He peered in and gazed at the elf with a mixture of curiosity and pity in his dark black eyes. "If only I were like you." he said sadly to the bird. "then I could fly away from this horrible place.." Legolas saw the bird turn it's tiny head as if confused by this statement and the innocent little expression forced him to laugh. He really thought the bird had understood him. The net was suffocating now and closing in on him like the crushing hand of a giant about his body. It was making him feel a little silly, almost drunk. But to his shock and surprise, the bird suddenly nodded it's head and hopped bravely upon the elf''s lap as if waiting for instruction. Legolas stared at the bird with eyes wide in wonder. "Can you understand me? Could you be one of the birds from Mirkwood?"

"Yes." it said in a high pitch tweet. "And you are an Elf from Mirkwood. Our kind have always been able to speak with Elves. Why are you in a net?" it asked innocently.

"It is a long story my little friend.." said Legolas sadly. "But you may have come just in time to help me out of it. Could you relay a message for me to Rivendell?"

"Of course. But that is a long way off, and it may take me many days to complete." it said fluffing it's feathers. Legolas considered this but found he had no other option but to trust the bird, no matter how long it would take.

"So be it then," he said gravely. "Take this message to Lord Elrond; Mirkwood has fallen to the Orcs and I am the only one who could send for help, as all other elves are now either dead or enslaved. There is also a strange woman here who talks of overthrowing both the Orcs and the remaining elves of Mirkwood. I wish I had more to share of her but our meeting was brief. Know now that she is evil. I do not know if I will ever make it to Rivendell so let my horse free to do as he pleases. He would wait the rest of his life for a master who may never return." The bird squeaked in fear as the message was given to him.

"This is terrible news!" it cried. "Who....whom shall I say it is from ?"

"Legolas Greenleaf. He will know me when you tell him.." Legolas watched as the bird fluttered away into the wonderful summer sky, and he wished he could simply slip through the ropes and fly away. "Good luck little one.." he muttered sadly.

Chapter Four: Friends and Foes Alike

The day dragged and Legolas waited for something to happen, anything. After a long nap, sitting with his head resting against his knees, Legolas awoke and found that the forest had gone very quiet and still. All of the happy birds had left him. Not even an insect buzzed on the air. He wondered if the Men were ever going to return, or perhaps more likely the strange old woman. Legolas sighed and figured they had probably forced themselves to forget him. Overhead, the sky was darkening considerably and ominous rain clouds began to gather. The bitter smell of a thunderstorm was strong on the wind, and it began to blow stronger and fiercer through the tree branches, causing them to creak and moan. Legolas knew a storm was coming and it was not pleasant to feel the net begin to sway and sag around him as the wind blew about. A suddenly clap of thunder rumbled overhead and Legolas shivered, wrapping his tunic closer around him. Too keep his spirits as high as a elf in a net could, he started to hum softy to himself a song that his friends use to sing on sweet midsummer nights when the stars shone down and the moon hung brightly above them. It was a happy memory, but the remembrance only brought sadness to his heart, as they were the very same elves he saw chained together by the Orcs. Although the sound of his own voice brought very little happiness to the dismal situation, and he continued to hum. It wasn't long before, that fat rain drops began pelting the trees and some hit Legolas on the head; they were cold and wet and slid down his face causing him to shiver, but it wasn't due to cold. He was lonely, tired and dreadfully hungry for something to eat. As he hummed, the rain fell harder and harder until the whole glade was a deluge of falling rain, soaking his tunic so that it clung uncomfortably close to his body. About at this time he ceased to hum and gave himself up to silence, the storm's thunderous noise was so loud it stifled all sound so that he ceased to hear himself. It rained like this for another 10 or 15 minutes until it ebbed into a soft drizzle and the clouds began to break apart at last. Legolas stared up at the sky and smiled as a weak ray of sunshine shone down upon the glade. Although the sun could not help him in any way, it did cheer up his gloomy status. As he pulled apart the dripping strands of hair from his eyes, the sound of horses hooves suddenly entered the glade, and he saw four brown horses with Men riding upon them move below his net with their necks craned upwards. They wore expressions of curiosity and some even started to laugh. It struck them as somewhat amusing to see someone trapped in a net like a wild animal. Legolas immediately saw that they weren't the brutes from the previous night, but different Men; they were dressed in dark tunics and wore silver swords on silver belts.

"Good heavens..why are you stuck up there lad?" asked one of the Men upon horseback. He had a kindly face with a dark brown beard and bright mail over his dark tunic.

"It is a long story that seems to have no ending for me.." said Legolas gloomily. The Man clicked his fingers and one of his comrades drew their sword.

"How long have you been up there?" he asked curiously. The men around him snickered, thought they meant no offense.

"Almost two days now...will you let me down?."

"Of course!. Well your lucky we came along!"said the Man. "Cut him down Bowen!" The sword slashed through the line holding Legolas's net and at once he saw the ground rush up to meet him and then collide with his sore and stiff body. He cried out in pain as he hit the ground hard and remained lying were he fell, too weak to move. Legolas wanted nothing more than to be left alone and to see the Men on their way now that he was freed from the net. His mission to find Rivendell was more important than ever, now that two days had passed since the Orc takeover. But those two days had taken a toll on him; his whole body shook with weakness and he could scarcely find the energy to raise his head. The man who had spoke to him knelt beside Legolas's shoulder and goggled at the Elf, and his mouth fell in disbelief. Before this moment, the Man had thought the stranger in the net look to be a young Man in his twenties, but now as he got a closer look, he saw Legolas's pointed ears poke out from under his matted golden hair.

"You're an Elf?" he gasped in alarm. Legolas nodded weakly and shut his eyes, hoping that the Man did not hate elves. Fortunately for Legolas, this man was an elf-friend and very concerned for him. "Who did this to you?" he asked.

"An..an old woman.. But it does not matter now." said Legolas coldly. "Please, I just need some water and food an I'll be on my way."

"If that is your wish. May I ask your name?" All of the men were now gathering together around the two, intent to know who this strange new elf was. Legolas sighed and unsteadily rose from the muddy ground, hissing through his teeth as his back muscles burned with pain. When he was finally standing on his own two wobbly feet again, he glared at the Man with his bright blue eyes furrowed under dark brows.

"My name is Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood, son of King Thranduil." he said in a clear voice. "Who are you?." The men all glanced at each other with amusement on their faces as Legolas said this.

"We are roaming warriors looking for work."said the bearded man. "My name is Cohen, and I am captain of these fine men you see before you. But tell me friend, why is a prince of Mirkwood found trapped in a net only a few hundred feet from his own borders?" Legolas stared at the ground for a moment before answering.

"My home has been taken over by Orcs," he said sadly. " and when I went for help Men trapped me here because they hate my people greatly. They ignored me when I told them of my plight, and left me here to die. I hope your Men are not as heartless as they, or I shall think very poorly of you kind for many a age."

"You spoke of an old woman..who is this?." Cohen asked curiously.

"I do no know. She would not show her face to me." Legolas wanted to say more but thought that she was long out of the picture by now. Cohen nodded and then looked out over the field to the Old forest.

"I have not been in Mirkwood for many a year," he said. " but the memory of the wood-elves hospitality towards me is a happy one. Be assured that my men are not your enemy." Legolas thanked him and then picked up his bow and quiver and his long white knives, which he placed on his back. The men watched him do this and commented on how fine his weapons were, for such a bow was not seen outside the Golden Wood by any but the Galadrihim. Legolas thanked them and inwardly felt very delighted to have them back. While Legolas talked to the Men of how he had acquired such magnificent weaponry, Cohen sat making a fire under the willows and prepared some food for the Elf.

"I hope you like it.." said Cohen as he passed a plate of roast meat and dry bread to Legolas. They were all sitting around the campfire now under a dark blue sky filling with stars. Although is was now dark in the glade, Legolas seemed to emanate his own light while the Men gazed at their strange new companion. Of course that was the way of elves, and to them it never seemed out of the ordinary, but to the Men it was quite a magical sight. It was a good sign to the Elf that his strength had returned.

"My empty stomach thanks you for your fine cooking, Cohen."Legolas said as he stuffed the bread into his mouth hungrily. It wasn't elvish cooking by far, but it was very tasty to someone who hadn't eaten in days. "Tell me Cohen," he said, after swallowing. "What brings you to this part of Mirkwood? It's very rare these days for anyone to willingly walk on our borders. My father is quite strict with trespassers." Cohen laughed and prodded at the crackling fire with a stick.

"My Men are not afraid of being killed as long as I am with them. Thranduil is a very old friend, though I doubt he has ever spoken of me to you. I guess we just ended up here. The wind is our guide and we follow it where ever it takes us, even to the very heart of Mirkwood and beyond the Grey Mountains." Cohen's face grew troubled suddenly as he spoke. "If what you say about the Orcs is true Legolas, then know that my Men will do all that is in their power to help. The Greenwood is my home too, though I may not be an Elf." Legolas gazed at the Man and smiled sadly.

"You would be sending your Men to their death if you did." he said dismally. "The Orcs are much stronger than any we have ever encountered before. Gilraen, a fellow Elf of mine, told me that Saruman once commanded these particular monsters, and empowered them with his evil magic. I don't know how they can be stopped, but it should not be your burden to bare, this is a problem for Elves not Men." Legolas glared at Cohen, hoping he would heed his warning. The sight of Elves dying under Orc blades was still fresh in his mind, and he wasn't eager to see these Men suffer their fate. Cohen sighed and scratched his beard, a sight that meant he was deep in thought.

"This is not a light matter." he said quietly to himself, not intending for the Elf to hear, but Legolas's sharp hearing ears caught it and he gazed at the Man with furrowed brows. Legolas sensed Cohen did not appreciate the deadly danger waiting in Mirkwood. Cohen smiled and drank some wine from a mug and then asked Legolas where the other Elf, Gilraen was. "He seems to know much about these Orcs of Saruman, perhaps his knowledge would prove useful?"

"He is dead."said Legolas sadly as he gazed into the fire. Bowen, who had been silent for most of the night now spoke up, his face alight with curiosity.

"Does it ever bother you that your people can live forever, yet still die a mortal death?" Legolas stared at him and wasn't sure how to answer such a question, for it wasn't easily answered. Bowen and his companions waited for his answer eagerly, as it was often debated among them.

"Try to imagine you're an Elf, "started Legolas thoughtfully. "And being as such you are blessed with a life never ending. The years will carry on as if they never were and continue to do so until you realize one day that a hundred years have passed you by without notice. You will lay witness to this century after century, until you see the very hand of time destroy all that is familiar. To die is sometimes a blessing to my people, for the our great leaders of the past are long since slain and our proud history is but a memory. My race has been dying since the first days of Valinor and the Great Elf-Kings of old, and will continue to do so even if we do not grow sick or die from old age. Does it bother me you ask? Yes and no. I hope to see the undying lands someday and rejoin with my kindred, but that is a long time to wait and my heart is weary like all of the Elven kind." Legolas sat silently as the Men gazed down at their feet, no longer eager to hear more, some even avoided the Elf's face, feeling overwhelmed by his words. Legolas rose from the fire wanting to stretch his tired legs and walk under the stars to clear his troubled mind.

"I hope we have not offended you." said Cohen as he saw Legolas retreat from the group looking upset. "My companions can be quiet rude sometimes.." he glared at them angrily but they said nothing. Legolas assured him they did nothing wrong but that he only wanted to walk alone for awhile. Cohen nodded and continued to eat his meal, but as Legolas left, Cohen's eyes followed the Elf into the darkness of the glade, watching the moon cast a silver halo about his shoulders and shine brightly in his long hair.

Legolas enjoyed summer more than any other season, and if it was a mild summer night with a cool breeze blowing in his face and the stars bright and blue in the dark sky above, he could not be happier. Such was the weather as he strolled slowly under the large swaying willows, yet his heart was not glad. Even at a distance from Mirkwood, he could still sense the darkness penetrating his home and it was growing steadily with every passing day. He hoped the little bird from earlier had made it to Rivendell and told Elrond of his crisis, but what the Elf-Lord would do in response, Legolas could only hope it would be to send help and fast. While thinking of home, Legolas came upon a small pool of water. Its calm surface reflected his fair Elven face back up to him, and behind his head the starry heavens rimed his shoulders like a cloak of bright diamonds. He sighed and sat by the pool, digging his knuckles into his forehead, trying to think of what to do for time was running short. He was hard put to going back home, knowing that he would be caught and executed immediately, being Thranduil's heir and only son. There was no punishment more terrible than Thranduil being forced to watch his child slain before him. Legolas shuttered and looked away from the pool, hoping it would never come to that. The other option that was haunting him, was to seek Aragorn's help for he had a mighty army of Men at his command. Legolas did not like this idea at all, as it would mean at least another month of traveling to Gondor and back again to Mirkwood, and by then it could be too late. There was always the option of asking Gandalf the White for help, but he was very hard to find and now that the Ring was destroyed, his part in the fate of Middle Earth and it's peoples had come to an end. Legolas's only hope was that Elrond would have a better plan in mind, thought he was certain any option presented would be risky and probably deadly. As Legolas lingered by the pool and agonized himself with worry, he suddenly heard footsteps stalking him in the blackness of the glade. He quickly stood up in alarm, whipped out his bow and strung it with an arrow. They were heavy sounding and snapped twigs every so often, as whomever it was marched closer to the pool. Legolas held his bow steady as he silently moved through the grass, his eyes straining through the darkness, hoping his fear would not betray him as Orcs can smell fear if it is strong enough. Luckily, Legolas somehow sensed that the stranger was not an Orc, but something different. He carefully inched his way further into the more marshier part of the glade and his boots squelched in the sticky mud, making his approach dangerously noisy. Just as he thought he saw a dark cloak whisk before him, there came a loud whoosh noise by his right ear and a hard object came crashing painfully down upon his head, causing him to drop his bow in surprise. Before the stars could clear from his eyes, another powerful blow to his shoulder sent him crashing to the ground so that he found himself laying on his stomach, face down. The world spun as he tried to stagger back onto his feet, but the stranger pushed him back down roughly so that Legolas smacked his chest upon a rock and he felt his right side collide painfully against it. He cursed and hugged his side as every intake of air caused his ribs to burn with agony. Legolas took a moment to get his grounding as the attacker backed off and he shakily rose to his knees, wildly looking for something to hit, but it was as if the assailant was hiding by magic; even his keen Elven eyes could see not see the creature in the darkness. They kept themselves well hidden in the shadows and out of the moon light, and as he knelt gasping and massaging his side, the strange shadow circled about him like a wolf closing in on it's pray and spoke in a whisper a language he had never heard before in Middle Earth, or maybe it wasn't a language at all. It took only a few agonizing seconds for Legolas to recognize the raspy voice was from the old woman of earlier. The one who had mysteriously told him he would be going somewhere, but then she left him and never returned. He had never seen her face, but he could not forget her strange raspy voice. It was this voice that now whispered to him in a bizarre string of words that resembled the sound of rocks being grazed together. He being an Elf, recognized the speech as some sort of incantation, but what it was for he could only guess and agonize that they wasn't meant for him. Unfortunately his fears were soon realized as a change quickly came over him, and he began to feel his arms and legs grow heavy and his breath short. He forgot about the pain in his side, about his father, even his own name. He was nothing. All that existed was darkness. Everything seemed like a bad dream as the world reeled and blurred in a frenzy of stars. He fell to the ground in a heap, hopelessly fighting the force to shut his eyes and sleep forever. But the spell was strong upon him and soon he lost all senses and fell into an abyss of forgetfulness.

Chapter Five: Legolas meets Skip

Once Legolas lay unmoving, the old woman stepped from out of the shadows and loomed over him snickering evilly.

"This has worked out better that I could have dreamed.." she growled gleefully. "You should not have lingered in this glade, no I should say not. Of course Cohen and his men will be killed for aiding you from our trap and meddling in our affairs. I though for a moment you would you leave and wisely never return. Oh how you will regret your foolishness!" Now she was talking to herself in gloating pride, as Legolas was out cold and could not hear her. "Elves have ruled the Greenwood long enough, and as for the Orcs, they will not last long with me as their foe. Thranduil is weakened, the time to attack is now!" she cried furiously. " It belongs to Men now and I will make sure of it! Know that the great and powerful witch Hectara has emerged from the depths of Mirkwood and she will be its queen!!" Suddenly the Men that had mercilessly trapped Legolas in the net appeared beside Hectara and smiled wickedly at the sight of the elf sprawled unconscious on the ground.

"Now what my lady? We had a cell prepared for him all day and the boys want to see it filled!" one of the Men said. The witch snapped at them to wait and that Legolas could still be awakened if moved.

"Since he is an Elf, my curses need more time to work." she said glaring at the man. "At this time if he were human, you could throw him down a mountain for all its worth and still not disturb him. But he is not so you must wait."

"What about Cohen's company?" growled a Man from the rear."They will come looking for him..they are friends of Elves." at the last word he spat on the ground in disgust.

"So kill them! And do a clean job of it or I'll put you to sleep and chuck you over a mountain!"cried the old woman. The Men nodded nervously and took off for Cohen and his friends, intending to slay them as they slept. Two of Hectara's Men stayed behind to help take Legolas back to their colony and they made quick work of it. A horse drawn wagon was a few feet away and it was there after a good long period of waiting, they tossed his unconscious body roughly into the cart and headed for town.

Legolas vaguely remembered how he had arrived to the cell he was laying in. Hours had passed since the Men had roughly cast him onto the dungeon's dusty floor and clanked the heavy door shut. He had slept in a fitful drunken sleep where he barely knew what was going on around him. As the sun was setting outside in the cool afternoon, Legolas finally began to stir, slowly at first but soon the affects from the spell wore off completely and he blinked a few times as the room came into clearer focus. He was laying flat on his stomach staring across the floor. It was a mess of straw and dirt and wet mud that lined the stone walls and ceiling. The sickening smell of rot and mold overpowered the Elf. Most of the smell came from a small corner where someone had place a bucket of murky brown water, apparently this was what Legolas was expected to drink. As he stared half awake at the bucket, his mouth burned with thirst but he dared not drink the water. It would probably make him sick for days. A weak ray of sunshine poured from a small barred window to his left and hit a patch of floor with radiant white light. Across from the window Legolas saw three cruel looking bars with manacles hooked around them, as if waiting for new prisoners to fill their empty voids. His eyes passed from the manacles, back to his own hands and arms which were sprawled out in front of him. He bitterly wished what he was seeing was only a dream, a horrible dream that he would awaken from very soon. But it was not a dream, for his dreams did not cause him pain. There came a sound of someone walking towards the door and out of instinct he wished to be on his feet again and ready to face the stranger. He rolled over onto his back and moaned as rippling red hot pain flashed across his chest where the rock had crashed into him. His breath caught in his aching lungs and a series of gasping coughs erupted from his throat. The world spun for a few seconds as he slowly pushed himself to a kneeling position, cradling his injured ribs and ignoring the throbs of dull pain pounding in his head like a jackhammer. The door to his cell began to open and he pushed unsteadily to his feet, thinking that it better to encounter his enemy in the face. His hand went for his bow and it was then that he realized it was gone. So where his knives and quiver. The heavy door creaked and a large man in a brown tunic and sandals stepped in, his face a mass of tangled black beard and brown grim.

"So..you're finally awake."growled the man. "Enjoy your nap little elf–"

"Where am I?!"cried Legolas furiously and his voice cracked as his chest expanded the bruised ribs. The large man shook his head as if disappointed with what he saw before him. He took two strides up to Legolas and then grabbed onto the shocked Elf's neck with a powerful hand. Legolas gasped and choked for air as the pudgy fingers wrapped around his wind pipe, he cried out in alarm but was too weak from his injuries to fight back. All he could do was watch and claw at the massive arms with his hands.

"Don't.....you......ever.....interrupt.....me ...AGAIN!!" The man shrieked as his voice shook with rage. He let Legolas's neck go and he fell to the floor coughing and rubbing his now raw skin where the brute had grabbed him.

"Why..why have you brought me here?!" croaked Legolas weakly, ignoring the stars in his eyes. There was a white hot brush on his cheek as the man struck his jaw. The stars came back doubled fold and Legolas hit the ground again, this time he stayed where he landed.

"I ask the questions you elf filth! Got That!" The man kicked Legolas in the soft part of his gut as he yelled the last two words, and Legolas groaned in pain as the breath was knocked out of him. The man exited for only a moment, and then re-entered the cell with a small dirty boy dragging behind him. Legolas coughed and looked up to see the boy staring down at him with eyes full of pain and wonder. "Got you a cell mate Elf.." spat the man. He threw the young boy into the wall where he sunk to the floor in a heap of silent tears. The man laughed. "Poor baby..you gonna cry? Take your punishment like a man!" With that the man walked out of the cell and slammed the heavy door behind him with a loud *BOOM*. The locks clicked a few times and then his lumbering footsteps echoed until they could not here him anymore. Legolas gazed at the boy and felt a pang of pity for him, though he did not know his name or why he was here in this terrible place, where ever here was. Legolas wiped some blood from his mouth and weakly rose to his feet. As soon as he straightened his back, the same sharp pain coursed through his ribs like fire again and he doubled over in a heap upon the floor, crying out loudly. The boy looked up from the wall where he was crouched and suddenly remembered he was in the cell with the stranger who Brattice had kicked. He cautiously rose from the ground and walked over to Legolas, the Elf's body was curled up and shaking.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked quietly. Legolas groaned and looked up, the boy was standing over him, his dirty face was beaming down at him.

"I.. I have had better days..." he muttered weakly. His ribs were burning terribly and the world would not stop spinning no matter how many times he blinked. Suddenly there was a small pair of hands under his arms and they were helping him up to a sitting position. Legolas struggled against the pain for a moment and then was upright against the slimy wall, breathing heavily but glad to be off the ground. The boy took a step back and considered Legolas for a moment with curiosity.

"So you really are an elf.." he said this as more of a statement than as a question.

"Yes...." A silent pause followed.

"Brattice had bragged they had caught an Elf.." the boy shrugged. "Guess he wasn't kidding."

Legolas frowned, everything seemed so strange. Who was Brattice? Who was this boy?

"Where am I?"he asked desperately. The boy cast his eyes to the sunny window high above them and sighed sadly.

"You are now part of Lady Hectara's slave colony....."he voice grew quiet. "They've never had an Elf here before...you're the first..if you want to know." Legolas nodded, not understanding any of it. He could barely remember what had happened the night before. Cohen and his men had helped him out of the net...but the rest was a blur. "Hey..what's your name?" Legolas was pulled from his thoughts by the boy's question.

"Legolas...Legolas Greenleaf..."he said, feeling good to have someone nice to talk to after such a horrible night. "What's yours?"

"Oh..my..my name is Giron. But you should call me Skip."

"Why can't I call you Giron..it is a strong name." the boy's eyes suddenly grew bright and he cast them back to the ground as if ashamed by something.

"I don't want to talk about my name Legolas..."he rubbed his arm. "Just call me Skip..ok?"

"Ok, if that is your wish..so Skip..tell me---"Legolas was suddenly caught in a coughing fit and he hugged himself, sending his chest in a fresh wave of pain. He closed his eyes for a moment to allow the stars to pass. Skip stood staring at the Elf wearily, realizing the he was really hurt.

"Are you gonna be ok Legolas?"

"I'm....I'm just tired.." Legolas winced as he laid back on the dirty ground and shut his eyes, wishing the nightmare would end and he was home again....home.....home with his father.....his father?!! Legolas gasped and his eyes popped open as he suddenly remembered what he had set out to do, and what had happened to his homeland! "I have to get out of here!" he cried and leapt from the ground, cradling his ribs as he went stumbling across the room. It was useless as he yanked on the door handle, it was bolted shut with many locks. Fevered panic coursed through as it seemed more now than ever that he would never see his father again, let alone Mirkwood. Skip ran to the Elf's side just as another blast of hot pain shot through Legolas that reminded him of the hurts still plaguing him. He collapsed in Skip's outstretch hands. Legolas felt his body being pulled down to the floor, his head cradled in Skip's small arms. His body was a deluge of never ending agony that threatened to consume him.

"You've got to rest Legolas!" he cried." What were you thinking?" Legolas was trying to stay conscious as the room was shifting from dark to light around him. Skip seemed far away, as if calling to him from across a field. "Legolas??" he called in a panicky voice. "Legolas don't pass out!! They'll put you in the infirmary!! Legolas?!!" The Elf struggled to hear Skip, but the boy was fading into darkness, along with the cell and dirty floor underneath his broken body. Skip's voice vanished completely and Legolas was falling..falling into the abyss once more.

Chapter Six: Maggie's Tent

Voices. Harsh Voices. They were everywhere. Over and over again he heard screams and snaches of someone cursing loudly. Somewhere in the distance his sensitive ears heard the loud crack of a whip and then a howl of pain. His mind slowly floated back to where he was. He sensed was lying on a cot and something cold and slightly wet was lying on his forehead. He had his eyes shut, but now he was suddenly aware of his surroundings, as if a switch had been turned on in his head. How long have I been out? he wondered. The darkness had been so inviting, so wonderful he wanted to return to it and not feel anymore. His body was aching all over and strangely hot, as if he had been running in the sun for hours without rest. Back to the darkness, he told himself. Go back and forget about the pain, forget the screams, forget about everything. He was so tired that it didn't take long to find the familiar emptiness of sleep again. Just as he was shutting out the world, the coldness on his forehead disappeared and this brought him back with awakened curiosity. What was happening outside his closed eyelids? The coldness returned shortly after, only now it was much wetter and much more colder. So cold that his head began to ache. The darkness would not come now, no matter how hard he tried to bring it back. He felt a hand brush against his cheek and he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was bright yellow sunshine blazing through a ceiling of off-white canvas. He was in a tent of some sort. The light hurt his eyes and he squinted to see more clearly. The hand left his cheek and Legolas heard a woman's voice speak into his left ear.

"Don't say a word.."she whispered, her tone urgent. "If they see you are awake you'll be put to work. So don't speak.." Legolas couldn't see who was talking to him and he wished he could speak to her, if only to find out where he was now. Finally the kind face of a middle aged woman with tired grey eyes and messy brown hair appeared over him and he coughed rapidly. His head swam and his lungs seemed slow to take in a fresh breath of air. The woman stared down at him, her eyes fulled of alarm. "You'll have to stop doing that.." she said gently. "Try not to cough if you can..." She replaced the wet cloth on his forehead and left his side for a moment. Legolas felt sick. His stomach was empty and crying out to him for food, yet he knew that eating anything would make him wish he hadn't. The cold cloth wasn't doing anything for the intense heat building up behind his eyes and it was spreading through his body like fire in his skin. The woman returned with a cup in her hands. She put it up to his parched mouth. "Drink this now.." she said. "It's a potion Skip made..It'll help with the pain and maybe lower that fever. Go on now and drink it" Legolas swallowed the bitter tasting liquid and hoped it hadn't been poison. After she withdrew the cup he sighed. The drink trickled down his throat and immediately made him feel somewhat better. He watched her take a seat by his head and then open a small bottle of what looked like water. She then poured this stuff onto a rag and then started to undo his tunic. Legolas immediately jerked under her hands, but kept quiet, remembering her words of warning about talking. She frowned. "Look..I don't know who you are, but I do know how to heal you. Will you trust me?." Legolas was too tired to fight with her, so he nodded and hoped she knew what she was doing. A very dark look grew in her eyes as Legolas's tunic was uncovered to reveal angry red and purple bruises running livid along his sides and chest. She ran the cloth over the bruises and they stung as the strange liquid washed over his damaged skin. Legolas suffered to let her wrap his chest up with clean white bandages, though they did little to relieve the pain. She finally left him alone with his thoughts and he wondered, as the fever coursed through his body, if he would ever know peace again. The days with Gimli and his friends from Mirkwood seem to him a dream that was not real. The tent was loud and smelly, and nothing made him feel as if he was in a healing place. It made him feel even worse, though the kind woman had tried to relieve his pain it wasn't helping much. He slowly fell back to sleep, but it was not the deep slumber of unconsciousness from before. He found himself lost in horrible dreams which were no better than then his present reality. Many hours later, Legolas opened his tired eyes to find that it was late afternoon. The golden sunlight had changed into a wash of orange and pink, which made the canvas ceiling seem to glow like living flame. A familiar voice carried his mind out of the clouds and he strained to hear it over the pounding in his ears.

"Is he ok Maggie?" It was Skip.

"I don't know my boy.." Maggie said sadly. "He's horribly feverish at the moment, and I'm afraid to ask Brattice if I could give him more medicine. Heaven knows his temper. Wouldn't stop crying that he wasn't being payed to take care of sick elves...." Skip patted her hand and said that Brattice wasn't getting paid at all. He was a slave just like them. Just bigger and more mean. Brattice only said things like that because he felt Hectara would someday reward him with his loyal service to her.

"Well then he shouldn't have lost his temper on him!"cried Maggie angrily. " and don't say her name Skip! She can here everything we say! Enough talk..I'm going to see Brattice tonight and give him a piece of my mind. Or all of my work on this Elf will have been for nothing! I could see it in his beady little eyes even as they dumped this sorry retch into my tent..he'll have this Elf working in the mines before sunset and then Brattice will have to bring him right back here!" Maggie was straitening up some small glass bottles and Legolas could hear her frustration being taken out on them. They clinked and clanged so loudly that his ears began to sting. Skip walked around to Legolas's cot and saw that his eyes were open.

A wide friendly grin spread on his dirty little face as he stared down at the Elf.

"You're awake!!" he cried. "Does this mean you'll live?" Legolas smiled weakly and became aware that he was terribly thirsty. He pointed to the water glass at his head and Skip immediately gave it to him. After he let the cool water flow over his parched lips and down his throat, Legolas was alert that the woman name Maggie was at his side. He lowered the cup and looked her over. She was older than he had thought first, maybe 40. Her dress was simple; a grey dress with a white apron, this signifying her medical position. He winced against the pain in his chest as he pushed himself up from the cot and stared to speak.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Why have I been taken here? Where is the old woman?..you call her Hectara." At this, the woman called Maggie blanched white and clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Do not speak of her!" she said in a panic. "Do you want to die? Is that it?" Skip patter her shoulder and she released her hand from Legolas. He wanted to know so much but they were not helping in the slightest.

"Where am I?!" he cried, forgetting about the throbs of pain in his head.

"You're in my healing tent, lord.." she said firmly. "You were hurt so badly...well now that you are awake, have some food." She pushed a plate of bread under his nose but he refused it.

"I am not hungry....you must listen to me." he pleaded. "I have to leave this place!" Her face softened as she took the plate away and gazed at the elf.

"You truly do not understand where you are, do you?" Legolas shook his head as if he were a confused child. She admired his charming face and beautiful blue eyes under furrowed brows. They looked so old yet young at the same time.

"This is a slave camp."she started. Legolas listened hungrily. "Where exactly we are located is a mystery. But as you can see it isn't Lothlorien. The camp is not big, but it's population is always growing. She is always adding more poor souls to be whipped and beaten to death into the dust." her voice quivered. " We work the silver minds that lie under our feet. They are huge and some become lost, never to be found again, though that troubles the slave masters little. Brattice is a slave master if you haven't guess it already. One of the meanest in my opinion, but evil is in the eye of the beholder they always say. If you are too weak to work the mines they work you in the fields until your back is bent and your hands blistering claws. I should know..that's what everyone is like once they return to me." she turned to Skip and ruffled his shaggy brown hair lovingly. "This little guy is my assistant and the best damn one I've ever seen. He's got the knack for healing make no mistake." Skip grinned bashfully. "It's a shame he is locked in this prison and not learning in Rohan or Gondor. A little more study with the masters would make him one of the best healers in Middle Earth or my name isn't Margaret." A short pause followed where only Legolas's struggled breathing was heard. She left, her eyes starting to brim with tears but Skip stay behind to watch him. He was deep in thought with Maggie's words. So he was trapped in a slave camp by the evil woman named Hectara. These people seemed scared to death even to speak her name aloud. Legolas sank back into the cot and sighed as his muscles trembled against the corse cloth. He would heal and become strong again, but what then? Was he to spend the rest of his days in this camp? What of his father? he though desperately, what would happen to him now? This was worse than the net. A thousand times worse.

"Legolas?" Skip was tugging on his hand.

"Yes?"

"What 's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" asked Legolas. Skip shrugged his shoulders, his dark brown eyes glaring at the Elf.

"I was remembering what you said earlier...you were calling out for someone.."

"I was? Who?" Legolas heard himself asking this but he already knew the answer. Skip shifted on his feet.

"Well you were suffering from a fever and I'm not sure what you said was real or hallucination..but it sounded like....."

"Thranduil." Legolas finished for him. Skip gasped.

"Yes! That was it. Why did you want him?"

"Because he is my father.."Legolas cast his bright eyes down. " and I think he is dying."

"You are his son??" Skip seemed shocked by this. Flabbergasted.

"Yes..but it seems not for long..if I can not leave this place to save him.."

"So that was why you were so crazy in the cell.." mutter Skip sadly. "Can I do anything for you?"

"If you can point me towards the nearest exit.." Skip shook his head and smiled despite his pity for the Elf. "You'll have to see Hectara for that.." he said grinning. Legolas arched his eyebrows and wondered why he was not scared like Maggie was..scared to say her name.

"Do you not fear her?"

"Who? Hectara?" Skip's eyes shone and he grinned again. "Not really. She's dangerous, make no mistake but I'm special. She won't kill me if even if I called her a cantankerous snot faced orc ass..oops..guess I just did."

"But why? Aren't you even a little scared? You're only a boy."

"Maybe..but I've got nothing to lose so what difference does it make." his voice turned bitter now. "I never even knew my parents Legolas. She killed them just so I could work for her. She knew I was a strong healer even as a small baby, and she wanted that power for herself. If I didn't want to help people on my own, then her murder would have not have meant a thing. I do what she says just so I can heal." Legolas felt very sorry for the boy and wished he could help. They sat quietly for a long while, each absorbed with their own problems. The sun set and the tent was awash in darkness. Maggie busied herself by lighting lamps hanging on posts and soon a dull orange glow lit the tent and attracted small moths to swarm the ceiling, each fighting to get closer to the bright lamp. Everywhere, patients who had been laying down since early afternoon began rising to return to their cells. Four large slave master stood like